The Wisdom of Animals
The book of Proverbs tells us to learn from the wisdom exhibited by certain animals. And with good reason. Sometimes animals act with far more sense than men (and even angels).
Balaam’s donkey could see what the great seer couldn’t (Num. 22).
Two wayward priests carried the ark into battle and lost it, so a couple of cows had to bring it back home. Unlike the priests, ‘they turned neither to the right nor the left’ (I Sam. 6.12).
While men were content to dwell in a world under God’s judgment, a dove wasn’t (Gen. 8.12). And while men were content to let demons inhabit the Gadarenes, the pigs of the region weren’t.
Jezebel wouldn’t feed the prophets of God, but the ravens did (1 Kgs. 17.4, 18.4).
The Medes didn’t have the sense to leave Daniel alone, but the lions did.
Bethel tolerated the irreverence of forty-two hoodlums, which a couple of she-bears didn’t (II Kgs. 2).
While angels took as many wives as they pleased, the animals entered the ark two by two (אִישׁ וְאִשְׁתּוֹ = ‘a man and his wife’) (Gen. 6.2, 7.2).
And so it all comes back to the donkey. Whereas a nation wouldn’t submit to Jesus’ lead, a donkey would and did.